Donald
recorded a number of highly respected fusion album releases during this
period, working
alongside producers 'The Mizell Brothers'
throughout this period with 'Places & Spaces' being considered his finest
work at this time.

the
mizell brothers (larry & fonce)

The
first release with the Mizell's was 1972's, 'Black Byrd' (which featured
'Flight Time' and 'Where Are We Going'), which was followed by 'Street Lady'
(in 1973 and featured 'Lansana's Priestess'), 'Stepping into Tomorrow' (in
1975 and featured 'Think Twice' and 'Design A Nation'), the classic, 'Places
and Spaces' (in 1976 and featured 'Dominoes', 'Change (Makes You Wanna Hustle'
and 'Wind Parade'), and 'Caricatures' (in 1977 and featured 'Wild Life and
'Onward Til Morning').

1979
saw a slightly more subdued Donald on his 'Donald Byrd and 125th St, NYC'
release, which featured the instrumental 'Morning'.

By
1981, Donald had teamed up with Isaac Hayes
for two album releases, the first of which was 'Love Byrd'.

This
album contained, probably, his most commercial dancer to date in the form
of 'Love Has Come Around', which proved hugely popular on the dancefloors,
although the more subdued 'I Feel Like Loving You Today' received a great
deal of attention from those on the Modern Soul Circuit.

1982's
'Words, Sounds, Colors and Shapes' proved less successful, and Donald retired
from the recording studio for an eight year period, before returning to
the studio for a more straight ahead Jazz album called 'Getting Down To
Business' in 1990.

He
began returning to his more traditional Jazz Roots, recording with peers
such as Joe Henderson and Bobby Hutcherson, and with younger musicians including
Kenny Garrett and Mulgrew Miller.

In
2001, Donald Byrd had become unwell, however, he continued to work.

In September 2009,
he was named an artist-in-residence at Delaware State University.